not this again...

okay, i don't have time to put one here right now, but this should grow into a pretty big-ass thread. anybody can post whatever exercises and wisdom they would like to share here.:rock:

Ex. 1 is based on a major scale constructed in thirds (ascending by seconds, though). It is a classic exercise and can be moved into minor, etc. It can also be done descending. These are eighth notes; start playing at around 80 bpm, pick it up by five and move up the neck. Alternate pick this all the way through!
The same concept can be applied to any scale degree (such as fourths and sixths).

Ex. 1 -
e|------------------------------------------------2---3-2-5-3---|
B|----------------------------------------3---5-3---5-----------|
G|----------------------------2---4-2-5-4---5-------------------|
D|----------------2---4-2-5-4---5-------------------------------|
A|----2---3-2-5-3---5-------------------------------------------|
E|--3---5-------------------------------------------------------|



Ex. 2 is based on a power chord shape (R-5-R) and helps facilitate economy picking. Pick this exercise down-up-up, gives your right hand a nice workout the first time ya try it. As with the last exercise, start at 80 bpm and pick it up by five every so often. Try moving it up the neck.


Ex. 2 -
e|------------------------4--|
B|------------------4---4----|
G|------------3---3---1------|
D|------3---3---1------------|
A|----3---1------------------|
E|--1------------------------|

Ex. 3 is a good exercise for alternate picking; it helps get the synchronization down. Start at about 80 bpm, then build up speed (triplets). As with the other exercises, run this across the neck to get a good feel for it.

Ex. 3 -

e|--------------------------------7-8-10------------------------
B|-------------------------7-8-10-------------------------------
G|------------------7-8-10--------------------------------------
D|-----------7-8-10---------------------------------------------
A|----7-8-10----------------------------------------------------
E|--------------------------------------------------------------

e|----8-9-11----------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------8-9-11---------------------------------------------|
G|------------------8-9-11--------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------8-9-11-------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------8-9-11------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------------|


Ex. 4 can be used as a nice finale to a solo (Crazy Train, anyone?). This is in major, you'd have to bring it to minor to do a run 'similar' to that white-knuckled ride. Experiment with the time and phrasing, and try to get it nice and CLEAN. Try running through different major positions, try this with the different modes, etc. Hit only the first note on each string. If you want, this could be turned into a nice alternate picking exercise, too.


e|---------------------------------------7-9-10-----------------|
B|--------------------------------7-9-10------------------------|
G|--------------------4-6-7-6-7-9-------------------------------|
D|--------------4-6-7-------------------------------------------|
A|--------4-5-7-------------------------------------------------|
E|--4-5-7-------------------------------------------------------|

here's another lick that i like to do (another Randy Rhoads knock-off...), it's in E minor-

e|-12------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---15p13p12--12------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------14--14p12p11--11------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------14--14p12p10--10------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------14--14p12p10--10------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------14--14p12p10h12-|

You could go down the whole neck like this; it could also be used to link two phrases smoothly. RR uses it in songs like "Revelation," "GTR," and "Mr. Crowley"

-----------
| * * * | *
-----------
* * | | * *
-----------
| | * * | |
-----------
* * * * * |
-----------
| | | | | |
-----------

play the notes ascending, descending, in thirds (1-3-2-4-3-5-4-6 etc),
fourths, fifths, sixths, and NAMING the notes. this is very useful in both fretboard memorization and scale knowledge. for example, take the key of G - it has one sharp, F#, right? start ascending, GABCDEF#G, then descending, GF#EDCBAG. then run it in thirds, such as GBACBDCEDF#EGF#AGB. and do the same for all intervallic distances.

here's another exercise that you should do w/o picking, and while pressing down nice and hard on the fretboard. do it nice and slow, and give all of ya wimpy digits a good workout -
etc.
e|-------------------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------2-6-4-2-6-4-------|
D|-------------------------2-6-4-2-6-4-------------------|
A|-------------2-6-4-2-6-4-------------------------------|
E|-2-6-4-2-6-4-------------------------------------------|
1 4 2 1 4 2 etc.

you can just continue this right up the neck, and then try string skips with it. start alternate picking then with this exercise, then do the skips. here's a good string skipping exercise -

e|--12h13h14h15p14p13p12-------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------15p14p13p12h13h14h15----|
D|-----------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------|

e|--15h16h17h18p17p16p15-------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------18p17p16p15h16h17h18----|
D|-----------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------|

i've been fooling around with the all-guitar-chords.com site, and it's a pretty kick ass place to learn a whole bunch of weird scales. try stuff like the kumoi scale and stuff like that. here's another exercise you can do to improve string skipping-

e|-----------------2h5t9p5p2-------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------5h7h11------------11p7p5------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------|
E|-2h5t9-----------------------------9p5p2-----------------|

you can do stuff like this all over the fretboard; play it really slow at first, then get it to the point so that you can just rip the hell out of this lick. sounds good over any minor progression

You can also do legato - here's an exercise. Play the whole A Mixolydian scale on the E string, slip-sliding, hammering on, and pulling off from one place to the next. Try ascending the scale by 2nds, 3rds, etc. as clean as possible - then reverse it. Go backwards as clean as possible, then change strings. Maybe mix it up then - string skipping, harmonizing, the possibilities are endless. When ya get it fast enough, it becomes a very useful tool for soloing - peace:D

here's another fun thing you can do; i just run this up and down the neck for about 5 minutes before i get into other exercises (if you're having trouble with the stretches, move to higher frets until you feel comfortable; do the one-finger-per-fret thing, and keep your thumb GLUED to the back of the neck)-

e|------------------------------------------2h4h6h8-------|
B|----------------------------------2h4h6h8---------------|
G|--------------------------2h4h6h8-----------------------|
D|------------------2h4h6h8-------------------------------|
A|----------2h4h6h8---------------------------------------|
E|--2h4h6h8-----------------------------------------------|

e|------------------------------------------3h5h7h9-------|
B|----------------------------------3h5h7h9---------------|
G|--------------------------3h5h7h9-----------------------|
D|------------------3h5h7h9-------------------------------|
A|----------3h5h7h9---------------------------------------|
E|--3h5h7h9-----------------------------------------------|

so on and so forth. don't do this for too long because then your fingers will feel like they're falling off

here's some more Randy Rhoads stuff; you could do legato or alternate pick on this one. good for both of them.

e|----------------------------------------------------79107|
B|------------------------------------------------7910-----|
G|------------------------------457--679------679----------|
D|------------235--457------457-----------679--------------|
A|-------235------------457--------------------------------|
E|--235----------------------------------------------------|

try to get these as clean as possible with the alternate picking

a good exercise is to do sweeps up and down the fretboard using scales (major, minor, modes etc.) here are some sweep shapes to get you started -

D Maj. (R 3 5) D Min. (R b3 5)
e|------------2h5p2---------|-----------1h5p1--------------|
B|----------3-------3-------|---------3-------3------------|
G|--------2-----------2-----|-------2-----------2----------|
D|------4---------------4---|-----3---------------3--------|
A|----5-------------------5-|---5-------------------5------|
E|--------------------------|------------------------------|
D Dim. (R b3 b5) D Aug. (R 3 #5)
e|------------1h5p1---------|-----------2h6p2--------------|
B|----------3-------3-------|---------3-------3------------|
G|--------1-----------1-----|-------3-----------3----------|
D|------3---------------3---|-----4---------------4--------|
A|----5-------------------5-|---5-------------------5------|
E|--------------------------|------------------------------|

have fun with these for now, and rock on

there's also something i like to call the "dimebag darrell" exercise (RIP) -


e|----------------------------------^-12-13-16-12-13-16---|
B|---------------------------------^----------------------|
G|--------------------------------^-----------------------|
D|--------------------TO THE TOP--------------------------|
A|-------------------^------------------------------------|
E|-12-13-16-12-13-16--------------------------------------|
use hammer ons and legato.

here's another thing that you can do with scales (any scale); the example is in a mixo (16th notes).

e|-9-5-7-9-10-7-9-10-12-9-10-12-14-10-12-14-15-12-14-15-17|
B|--------------------------------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------|

here's another thing (an yngwie thing). all alternate picked as fast as you can.

e|-20-14-16-17-16-14--|
B|-------------------*|
G|--------------------|
D|--------------------|
A|-------------------*|
E|--------------------|

anybody have any more exercises?

e|------------------5-7-t8-7-5------------------------------|
B|---------------5-7-t8-------8t-7-5---------------------------|
G|------------4-5-t7-------------7t-5-4-------------------|
D|---------4-5-t7-------------------7t-5-4-------------|
A|------3-5-t7-------------------------7t-5-3----------------|
E|---3-5-t7-------------------------------7t-5-3---------------|

ok yeah lol im not much for tab. I believe i did this right. all it is basically is the G Major scale. Tap the last note on ever string. It sounds pretty cool. Ill share some cool 5 string arp patters soon.

instead to tabbing everything. just try tapping the last note on everystring in every scale and see what you come up with. :)

thanx eden! can't wait for more!:woot: :)